Transparent panel



Patented Oct. 7, 1924.

retain earner are terms se se enre 0r mam a n, s em TRAN$PARENT PANEL.

Application filed fictober 3, 1922. Serial No. 592,170.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY GARNER and J AMES :PARKER GARNER, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residents of Ara-lon, Wake Green Road, Moseley, Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, England, and 37 Forest Road, Moseley, aforesaid, respectively, have invented certain new and'useful improvements in Transparent Panels; and'w'e' do hereby declare the'following to be a'iulh clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to transparent panels and is intended primarily for sliding windows for use upon vehicles.

Qne object of the present invention is to provide an improved transparent panel which will be lighter in weight and which will he less'likely to be broken than those at present in use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a transparent panel which will have the necessary degree of transparency but which will be Su'fliciently stiff to withstand wind pressure without distortion.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a transparent panel which will be resilient, i. e., which will have sufficient flexibility to allow of it bending so that it can slide in curved guideslbut which will have suflicient stifiness as will. cause it automatically to regain a flat formation when releasedirom thecurved guides.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved transparent panel which will he sufiiciently stiff to enable it to'be pushed along guides from one end without distortion.

A further object of the present invention is to {provide an improved transparent panel which will have a maximum degree of transparency and light transmitting qualities.

It is proposed to construct ourimproved transparent panel by taking a sheet of comparat e'ly flexible transparent material such "as celluloid and to thicken the edges of the panel to obtain the necessary degree of resiliency or .stiifness. v i

A further object of the present invention is to construct the panel so that the main sheet of material" will not buckle or the sti ifening strips," if'm'ade separately, come loose from the main sheet when the temperature of the panel is raised. Under some circumstances the thickening pieces employed at the edges may require to expand more or less than the main sheet when the temperature is raised.

For thickening the edges of the panel we use material which has substantially the same co-efiicient of expansion due to diii'en ences of temperature as the main sheet. In

additiom particularly at the end edges, we may use strips of material having a different co-eii icient of expansion from the main sheet but which strips are mounted upon the main sheet in such manner that the necessary relative expansion can take place.

Instead of forming the thickened edges of the main sheet of separate strips secured to the main sheet of material the thickened edges may he made integral therewith by forming them in the process of manufacture of the sheet by means of pressing or other operations.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing one form of sliding window.

l igurc 2 is a sectional plan view of same.

Figure 1: a sectional view in end ele vation of the window.

Figure 4; is'a sectional end view of a modified form of sliding window.

Figure 5 is a side view partly in section of the window illustrated by Figure l.

Figure dis a sectional end view showing a further modification of the slidingwindow.

Figure 7 is a sectional side view of: the window shown in Figure 6.

In the construction. illustrated in Figures 1.. 2 and 3 the window consists of a thin sheet 80 or transparent flexible material such as celluloid thickened at its sliding edges by strips oi celluloid 81 and 82 which are secured to the sheet 80 by suitable cement and by the application of pressure. Other means forsecuring these strips may be employed if desired and in some cases a transparent flexible window oftthe general form shown may be constructed by making the thickened edges integral with the sheet 80. This may be done in the manufacture of the sheet by pressure means.

As'will he seen from Figures 1. and 3 the sliding edges of the sheet 80 are thickened on one side by single strips 81 and upon the other side by two strips 82. At the top and bottom or transverse edges however, the strip 81 and one of the strips 82 are omitted and metal channels 83 are mounted upon the edges of the window for the purpose of taking the wear. The whole of the edges of the window are thus of the same thickness.

In the construction shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the transverse and sliding edges of the window are shown as being thickened with strips of celluloid or similar material to the material of the main sheet of the window. This construction is suggested mainly because ithas been found desirable to employ for thickening the edges of the window, strips having the same or substantially the same coefficient of expansion due to variation in. temperature as the main sheet of the window itself. If the coefficients of expansion of the materials used in the window construction were different, there would be danger of buckling or even of the thickening strips becoming loose. For this reason the channels 83 may be left unsecured to the window, retaining their position thereon merely by reason of a friction tight fit thereon. I

In constructing a sliding flexible transparent window of celluloid or analogous material it is necessary to select acomparatively thin sheet in order to obtain a maximum of transparency, Such sheets however, may not be sufiiciently stiff to give good results as they may buckle under wind pressure. Hence the suggestion that the edges should be thickened.

In addition to thickening the edges of the window with strips of the same or similar material to the window itself, they may be stiffened with metal or other rods or strips. As however, the co-efficient of expansion due to variations of temperature of meta-land the material of which thewindow is made may be very different, any of the constructions or any equivalent construction to those shown in Figures 4 to 7 may be employed.

In the construction shown in Figures 4 and 5 the main panel 23 of the window has its transverse edges stiffened by metal members. At the top a metal rod 24: is employed- This metal rod is not actually fastened to the window but is free or floats in a pocket lar form which floats freely in a pocket 29 which is formed by a moulded strip 30 of celluloid or like material cemented to the lower edge of the window. The strip 30 has its lower part formed of channel section havingtwo flanges the edges 31 of which are turned inwardly to accommodatea strip or rod 32 which forms a bufier.

It will be understood that the sliding edges of the window maybe reinforced by strips of metal of flat section if desired, but if such strips are employed upon the window they are associated with the window in such manner that they are free to expand to'a greater or less degree than the window itself under the influence of increases of temperature. 7

Another construction is shown in Figures 6 and 7 where the main panel 38 of the window is provided with celluloid or like thickening strips 39 andfa channel shaped meta-l member 40 embraces. the strips 39 and has inturned edges 41 to engage under the edges of the strips 39. The metal or like channel 40 is prevented from sliding off in an endwise direction by a single rivet 42 passing through the channel 40, the strips 39 and the main panel 38. The employment of a single rivet either at one end or in the centre permits of the difl'erential expansion of the metal or like channel 40 and the-window 38 with its thickening strips 39.

What we claim then is: p

1. A transparent panel applicable as a sliding window comprising a sheet of flexible transparent celluloid'jindependent portions of celluloid applied to two of its opposite edges, means for securing said strips, independent strips of celluloid applied to its two remaining edges and secured thereto.

and metal strips freely associated with said portions. 1 r y 2. A transparent panel comprising a sheet of flexible transparent material, a housing of p the same material secured to at least one edge of the sheet and a stiffening member of metalfreely mounted in saidhousing.

8. A transparent panel comprisinga sheet of flexible transparent materi a1, an independent loop of the same material secured to one edge of the sheet and a metal stiffening member freely mounted in said loop". 1

4. A transparent panel comprisinga sheet of flexible: transparent materiaha channel shaped member of the same material secured to one edge thereof, a stiffening member mounted in said channel and a resilientbuffer in the mouth of the channel and serving to retain the stiffening member in its place.

In witness whereof we afiix our signatures.

HENRY GARNER. JAMES PARKER GARNER. 

